New Alabama Community College Chancellor Chosen

The man credited with restoring the reputation of an Alabama community college after scandal will soon be overseeing the state's entire community college system.

The State Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to hire Shelton State President Mark Heinrich of Tuscaloosa as chancellor over the other finalist, Blake Flanders, vice president of workforce development for the Kansas Board of Regents.

The board president, Gov. Robert Bentley, who's from Tuscaloosa, said he voted for Heinrich because he saw firsthand what Heinrich did at Shelton State after the State Board of Education named him president in early 2008 following a corruption investigation.

"His personality and the way he handles problems will show as he takes over the chancellorship," Bentley said.